Each year, the United States averages some 10,000 thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,300 tornadoes and 2 Atlantic hurricanes, as well as widespread droughts and wildfires. Weather, water and climate events, cause an average of approximately 650 deaths and $15 billion in damage per year and are responsible for some 90 percent of all presidentially-declared disasters.

NOAA's radio system is an all-hazards system, providing watches and warnings for such incidents as floods, tornados, oil spills, 911 telephone outages, terrorist and AMBER alerts, as well as post-event information.

A NOAA Weather Radio can help you monitor dangerous storms: it transmits alerts of severe weather and dangerous conditions before they arrive.

Hand crank emergency radios with NOAA feature are simply more reliable than cell phones and the internet in such situations. Cell towers and networks are vulnerable and susceptible to service disruption from extreme weather, mechanical failure, and solar flares. When extreme weather strikes and you're without power, hand crank radios are your best option for staying powered up and informed. Multiple, sustainable, reliable power source options are a fundamental feature when shopping for an emergency radio.